Leica R 180mm f2.8 APO and Canon 1.4X II on 5D

Hello
I'm currently using (and loving) the Leica R 180/2.8 APO on my Canon 5D I using Optix v5 adapter with very good results. I previously also used a R 280/4 APO however sold it as it was a used item and the condition was not so good.
Now still thinking about the 280/4 APO but it is too expensive now and heavy. Though most of the R-lenses are still usable on canon, Nikon, etc with adapters, but there is still risk of investing too much money on R-lenses. So am thinking about using a R-APO 1.4X adapter with the 180 lens. However, there are two 'versions' of 180/2.8 APO - one can use APO 1.4x but one can't. Unfortunately mine is the can't version. So the other idea is to use Canon 1.4x + Optix v5 adapter + Leica 180/2.8 APO.
Anyone have any idea/experience?
Thanks!

Responses

Have you considered using the Leica 2x APO converter? This will work, and though it is longer and slower, it still has superb optical quality. And it is a much more expensive option, but Leica will modify your 180/2.8 APO to the newer version which will work with the 1.4x converter. I asked them about it a few years ago (mine is the same older version as your own), but it was a couple hundred euros, if I recall correctly. It would probably be cheaper to sell your lens and buy a newer version.

I use various other brand manual lens on my EOS body, e.g. R and Hasso lenses, and recently when i got myself a Canon 1.4x for my Canon long tele lens, i try to see if it could work with Hasso lens. I find that when a Canon 1.4x is attached to the EOS body and then with other manual lens attached to the extendor via the usual adaptor, after you have pressed the shutter, you will rec'v an error message from the EOS body. The only way to handle this is to apply a plastic tape over the electronic contact points of the 1.4x extendor. I cannot attach my Leica R tele lens on the Canon 1.4x because of the bigger protruded element from the extendor.

2x APO works fine on 180mm 2.8 APO but you need to stop down to 5.6.
1.4x APO works fine and has no (or barely discernable) IQ degradation at 2.8. It took me more than 6 months to find a 180mm 2.8 APO version that accepts 1.4x APO.